The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-12-31
TOWERS OF SILENCE.


THO singular WHy In Wntcn tne FurGeeg
Dispose Of Their Dead.
The Parsec Towers of Silence have
ever excited the curiosity and wonder
Of all the other peoples of the world.
II Is well known that the Parsee mode
OF disposing of their dead is quite diff
fereDt from that of the Christians,
Jews, Mohammcdans or Hindoos. Tho
corpse Of Parsee, after the performs
ance of certain ceremonies, is taken to
the Dokma, or Tower Of Silence, which
is generally erected upon an eminence
In solitary place. The best idea that
can be given Of its outward appearance
Is to refer the reader to the large circu-
lar gasometers attached to gas works,
the only difference being that the Dok-
mas are open at the top, while their
circular walls are built of the hardest
stone, instead of iron, and faced
with white lime plaster. The
walls are from twenty to thirty
feet high, and the diameter Of
the largest tower of Silence in Bombay,
the headquarters of the Indian Parsees,
is ninety feet. Inside the tower is
circular platform about three hundred
feet in circumference, paved with large
stone slabs, and divided into three con-
centric rows of exposed receptacles for
the bodies, which diminish in size from
the outer to the inner ring. The in
nermost row is used for the bodies Of
children, the next for those of women,
| and the one nearest to the wall for
| those of men. These receptacles are
separated from each other by ridges
about an inch high, and channels are
cut into them for the purpose of carry
ing all liquid matter into a deep hol-
low in the form of -bottomed
pit This pit forms the center of the
!! tower.
After the corpse has been deposited
in one of the rows of the Dokna, the
vultures, which are always i'll great
numbers in it's Immediate vicinity, soon
denude 1t of flesh--an operation COM
!! pleted in an hour Mt the outside; and,
when the bones are perfectly dried up
by the tropical sun and other atmos-
pheric agencies, they are thrown into
the central pit, where they crumble
into dust, thus leveling together after
death the rich and the poor. Excellent
sanitary precautions are adopted in the
construction of Towers of Silence.
Four. drains are constructed leading
from the body of the pit. Issuing from.
the surrounding wall of the deep hol-
low, they pass beyond the outside OF
the tower down into four wells sunk in
the ground at'cqual distances. At the
mouth of each drain charcoal and sand
stones are placed for purifying tho
fluid before it enters the ground and
the wells have permcable bottom
whiclris covered with sand to height
of five or seven feet.
Perfect silence is always observed in
the Dokmas, whence their name--the
Towers of Silence. They are all built
upon one plan, though their size may
vary. The laying of the foundation.
stone of new Dokma, as well as its
final conservation, is attended with
great ceremony. When plot Of ground
has been selected for the building of q
Tower of Silence it is marked out by
large iron nails driven into the ground
at certain intervals. round which is
passed thread forming complete
circle. The. Parsee scriptures enjoin
that earth. fire and water shall, unde,
no circumstances. be deiiled by contact
with putrefying flesh. Accordingly, in
carrying the thread round the nails
ground, indicating that the dead bodies
should be placed on some superstruc'
ture. and not directly on the earth
Then again. iron nails are used, and
not wooden pegs. because wood. being
more porous than metal. is more likely
to carry contagion to the earth. Lon
don Graphic.